The LSU Medical Center has established a Multipurpose Arthritis Center which is based in the Department of Medicine under the leadership of the Chief of Section of Rheumatology and Rehabilitation at the medical school. Extensive exposure to Rheumatology is provided to our medical students and house staff. An active Fellowship program is established with plans to enlarge the program to a total of six fellows per year. A new concept of a tutorial program for the primary physician has begun and the institution of a nurse educator for the patients at our local and out-reach clinics is now in operation. The Community programs include a large in-patient consultation service and three weekly out-patient clinics at Charity Hospital in which a total of 125 indigent patients are seen weekly. Private patients are seen in the LSU Private Diagnostic Clinic and hospitalized in the New Arthritis Unit at Hotel Dieu Hospital. We run a JRA clinic at Children's Hospital and arthritis clinics in four other cities in Louisiana. A major component of our program is a seven story, 48 bed Vocational Rehabilitation Unit. A large staff provides comprehensive rehabilitation, vocational counseling and work evaluation programs. There is an interdigitation of the PM&R residency with our Rheumatology program. Also, the Orthopedic Department has been working very colsely with us since rheumatoid surgery and cartilage metabolism are their major interests. In addition the social science section has initiated several projects which will benefit the community at large. One is a community survey of the public's awareness of arthritis; also, a patient profile is being compiled on every arthritic patient treated by the staff in the Section of Rheumatology. This project is a logitudinal one and patients will be followed up for a period of one year to determine quality of medical care in light of the costs of treatment.